ELYSIUM--a movie review by Gordon Stamper, Jr.

Tri-Star Pictures, Media Rights Capital, and QED International present Elysium.  Written and directed by Neil Blomkamp.  Starring Matt Damon, Jodie Foster, Sharlto Copley, Alice Braga, Diego Luna, Wagner Moura, and William Fichtner.  Cinematography by Trent Opoloch.  109 minutes.  Rated 'R' for strong bloody violence and language throughout.

After the artistic and box office success of District 9, Neil Blomkamp's next project would be an event with high expectations.  His follow-up is Elysium, another speculative fiction tale loaded with social commentary.

The film's greatest asset is Matt Damon as Max, another in Damon's gallery of likable anti-hero performances.  He is an orphan with only one true friend in the world, Frey (Alice Braga), who is now a nurse in a disintegrating Los Angeles and world of the far future.

Max is a reformed ex-con, working a dangerous job on the assembly line for security droids that guard the orbiting paradise of Elysium.  There, the rich lead an idyllic resort-type life and have access to health care that makes residents nearly immortal.  Later, Max is exposed to toxic radiation and begins what may be a suicide mission to the healing beds of Elysium for himself and Frey's dying daughter. 

In the meantime, Elysium's head of defense Delacourt (Jodie Foster) is planning a political coup with the help of a business executive and computer whiz (William Fichtner) and a ruthless killer-for-hire, Krueger (Sharlto Copley).

The movie's action sequences are exciting and suspenseful (and help earn the 'R' rating), and the have and have-not allegory is clearly drawn.  Any disappointment with the plot comes from its predictable conclusion.  The film's ambitious social agenda encourages close viewing, but attentive audience members will figure out the ending at least a half hour before the climax.  Fortunately, the movie is relatively short and not a three hour epoch, or this would have been a fatal flaw. 

Blomkamp seems to have a fascination with exoskeletons, and both Max and Krueger don them in key parts of the plot.  Although many of the film's special effects are dazzling, the suits are District 9 deja vu and one hopes he can get away from them in future storytelling.  They threaten to be the director's Tim Burton-like quirk of the future.

Two hammy performances are miles apart in terms of effectiveness.  Sharlto Copley plays Krueger like Dog the Bounty Hunter with an Afrikaner accent and futuristic weapons, and it generally works.  His is a swaggering, proud-of-it villainy and the laughs Copley gets are intentional.  As for Jodie Foster, she seems to go for mimicry, imitating Christine Lagarde, former Chicagoan and head of the International Monetary Fund, down to the mixed French accent and hair style.  Perhaps she thought it would add to the film's social commentary.  What the audience gets is a befuddling performance that threatens to derail the film at times, but Damon, Copley, and a comparatively understated Fichtner counteract it.

Elysium is a good science fiction and action motion picture, providing adult audiences some material for thought-provoking discussion after the film along with well-executed shoot-'em-up fare.  Though not as original and provocative as District 9, Blomkamp has made at least an oasis, if not a paradise, from August release mediocrity.

My rating:  *** out of ****.

Welcome back to school--an adjusted view

Yesterday at my parents' home, their Munster, Indiana neighborhood had all the signs of a return to school.  Retirees manicured their lawns without the interruption and harassment of passing whippersnappers.  Once again, it was safe to be a pedestrian on the sidewalks, no youngsters just off training wheels clipping you with their bicycles.  The local police had the "your speed" digital signs and speed traps at the ready in the vicinity of all school zones.

Then the return home brought its own revelations.  Columbia and Calumet Avenues became parking lots, waiting for the streams of buses and car pickups at the public and Catholic schools.  Near a ranch home on Columbia, a girl raced from the bus, giddily shouting to her mommy about the exciting day.  Her brother exited the bus with a slow, shuffling death march, wondering what mommy will do to him after hearing about what he did today (if his teacher didn't call mommy first).

At this time last year, I re-entered college teaching, enthusiastic about the possibilities of the upcoming semester.  Though today I may not be the death march boy, I'm not his cheerleader sister, either.

I experienced some of the best and worst in freshman writing.  In my composition class, one student wrote a paper defending sweatshop labor, using sources he found exclusively on Bing and Google searches.  From my research writing students, a hip hop and rap "expert" asserted that Tupac Shakur was one of the biggest music artists of the 80's.  If that's the case, then I love when Madonna did the bump-and-grind onstage with The Beatles.

But some young writers can still dazzle me.  A professional musician and student at Ivy Tech evaluated what are the best and most reliable organs to play in church services.  At Purdue North Central, a group project produced a thoroughly researched essay and oral presentation on practical methods and solutions to reduce fossil fuel consumption and have lower energy bills.

I'm ready for another school year of discovery and encouraging students to find their writing voices.  And my pragmatic side has returned as well, knowing there will be a share of essay disasters.  Perhaps after this semester, at least it will give me more examples of what not to do.  I'm tired of sharing the real-life student example of "The History of the Twentieth Century" for a three to five page assignment.  

THE WOLVERINE: A Movie Review by Gordon Stamper, Jr.

Twentieth Century Fox, Marvel Entertainment, and Dune Entertainment present The Wolverine.  Directed by James Mangold.  Starring Hugh Jackman, Tao Akamoto, Rila Fukushima, Hiroyuki Sanada, Svetlana Khodchenkova, Hal Yamanouchi, and Famke Janssen.  Cinematography by Ross Emery.  Screenplay by Mark Bomback and Scott Frank, based on the original comics miniseries by Chris Claremont and Frank Miller.  126 minutes.  Rated "PG-13" for scenes of intense sci-fi action and violence, some sexuality and language.

In Marvel's latest superhero film The Wolverine, the audience is treated to an intriguing introduction and back story that peaks interest.  There are enough exciting action sequences and Hugh Jackman scenes to keep it from being a time-waster.

Logan (Jackman) is literally hanging out in the Canadian woods, holding a mutual admiration society with a huge male grizzly.  After a hunting party shakes Logan out of the forest and into town, a cyberpunk-like Japanese woman, Yukio (Rila Fukushima), tracks him down at a big bar fight.  An old friend, Yashida (Hal Yamanouchi), is dying of cancer and wants to be able to tell Logan goodbye.  Being one of the most memorable people in Logan's very long life--knowing Yashida since World War II--The Wolverine is willing to come out of hiding and see his friend one last time in Tokyo.  What Logan does not expect is an offer to cure his unwanted immortal status, and an obligation to be the protector for Yashida's favorite granddaughter, Mariko (Tao Akamoto).

After this fascinating setup, the film careens between great action sequences and real pathos, and noisy, stock superhero plotting.  One could argue that The Wolverine goes downhill after a chase sequence on a bullet train that is both suspenseful and technically brilliant.  If only the momentum and human interest had been sustained, this story would appeal to any movie audience.  But big and loud special effects overdrive takes over the latter third of the film, and it includes a plot "twist" that a junior high viewer could have foreseen early on.

However, Jackman is always a pleasure to watch as Logan/The Wolverine.  He has become attached to his character like Sean Connery or Daniel Craig to James Bond.  He enjoys exploring the physical and psychological boundaries of the character, being tough, gruff, or tender at the right moments, and it's his best performance as the nearly invincible hero so far.  Among the supporting cast, the biggest standouts are Fukushima, who plays a ninja-like woman with spotty psychic ability, and Svetlana Khodchenkova, portraying a doctor with an evil agenda.  And Tokyo and the Japanese coastline looks gorgeous.

The Wolverine is good summer action fare with an appealing lead performance. But non-comics fans should be prepared for some frustration in how the intriguing plot conflicts resolve themselves.  Note, especially for comics fans and followers of the X-Men series:  stay for the credits and the extra scene (and you won't have to wait for it until the end of the credits).

My rating:  *** out of ****.

Robert Plant & The Sensational Space Shifters: Taste of Chicago 2013 Concert Review by Gordon Stamper, Jr.

Robert Plant at Taste of Chicago 2013 (photo by Gordon Stamper, Jr.)

The familiar acoustic guitar opening of "Babe I'm Gonna Leave You" accompanied Robert Plant's entrance on the Petrillo Music Shell stage.  A cheer rolled through the massive crowd, and Mr. Plant and his band mates delivered on the promise of these opening chords throughout their 90 minute performance.  Although his vocal range has been shaved due to time and throat surgery, Plant used what he has left with maximum efficiency and effectiveness at his Taste of Chicago appearance.

Throughout the set, the sound shifted from folk to blues to psychedelia and heavy metal.  Plant's versatile touring band The Sensational Space Shifters made much of it possible, with contributors such as Massive Attack's John Baggott on keyboards, West African multi-instrumentalist Juldeh Camara, and versatile guitarists Justin Adams and Liam Tyson.  "Black Dog" turned into a world beat party with Dave Smith's complex percussion and Camara's banjo-like work on the kolongo.

Juldeh Camara on the kolongo (photo by Gordon Stamper, Jr.)

Mr. Plant applied his Space Shifters to classic blues covers as well, including a slinky rendition of Willie Dixon's "Spoonful," and added old gospel intensity to "Satan Your Kingdom Must Come Down."  The latter song was one of Plant's finest moments in the show, with his phrasing and building intensity highlighting his remaining vocal strengths.  "What Is and What Should Never Be" also remained a dynamics showcase for Plant, with seductive whispers leading to a shouting climax.

Perhaps the most straightforward treatment of a song was from Plant's solo work, "In the Mood."  It was good to hear the 80's song in a live setting, but fortunately, much of the show strayed from set arrangements and instead kept even Zeppelin material from seeming too obvious and familiar.  One example would be "Whole Lotta Love," which shifted from the original rhythm to a Bo Diddley beat and "Who Do You Love?" before returning to a metal sonic attack, with Camara's one string African fiddle added in for surreal effect.

But even those audience members who may have been befuddled by the new arrangements seemed to be won over by an ethereal rendition of "Goin' to California."  It inspired some couples to slow dance, caught up on a breezy summer night with a shimmering soundtrack to match.  Plant's Golden God days are gone, but what is left is a music scholar who balances pride in his legacy with musical exploration in his live performances.

THE CONJURING: a movie review by Gordon Stamper, Jr.

Warner Bros., New Line Cinema, and Evergreen Media present The Conjuring.   Starring Vera Farminga, Patrick Wilson, Lili Taylor, and Ron Livingston.  Directed by James Wan.  Written by Chad & Carey Hayes.  Cinematography by John R. Leonetti.  112 Minutes.  Rated ‘R’ for sequences of disturbing violence and terror.

A litmus test for a horror film is when an audience made up primarily of wise-cracking teenagers has been silenced.  Such was the case with The Conjuring, a suspenseful and stylish horror/thriller and notable entry in the “bad place” genre from an unexpected source:  James Wan, director of Insidious and curator of the Saw series.  Supposedly based on the real-life experiences of demonologist duo Ed and Lorraine Warren, its basis in truth is probably about the same as Fargo’s claim.  Yet that doesn’t diminish the power of this terrifying film. 

We follow the Warrens (Vera Farminga and Patrick Wilson) on their early explorations and encounters with the spirit world, while Carolyn and Roger Perron’s (Lili Taylor and Ron Livingston) big, happy family moves into a large country house that seems like an idyllic fit for them.  Strange events start happening in the Perron’s home, from disturbing noises and stopped clocks to mysterious, deep bruises found on Carolyn.  During a long trip away from home by truck driver Ron, the family comes under heavy attack by dark forces, with the mother trapped and pummeled in the basement while her four daughters are terrorized by a physical manifestation of demonic forces.  Carolyn seeks out the Warrens after one of their college lectures, and the spirit world explorers are plunged into a nightmarish combination of haunted house and exorcism territory.

Director James Wan is the chief orchestrator of terror here, with deft rhythm and timing on his false and genuine scares.  As with humor, the element of surprise is important and the film attacks the viewer with enough off-kilter moments to jolt even the most cynical horror film veteran.  And to Wan’s credit, little of the torture porn violence of Saw is used here. John Leonetti’s extended and panning cinematography also keeps the audience guessing where the next apparition will appear.

The acting is also first rate, particularly Farminga and Wilson, who have strong chemistry portraying a married couple, flesh-and-blood humans facing primal evil.  Livingston does a decent job looking helpless and scared, and Taylor plays yet another terrorized victim well, which is why she’s cast so often in those roles.

Some of the writing goes off the rails, particularly when an extended scene in the house’s basement goes on too long and is inconsistent with the general intelligence the Warrens have shown throughout the movie.  Fortunately, the plot gaffes are few and forgiven by the generally solid storytelling and Wan’s build-up of dread.

As I left the screening, an angry and escalating shouting match started between theater patrons, as if the bad place had shifted to our movie theater.  This is not the feel-good movie of the summer, but if you are appreciative of genuinely frightening horror, The Conjuring is required viewing.

My rating:  ***1/2 out of ****.

    

WORLD WAR Z: a movie review by Gordon Stamper, Jr.

Paramount Pictures et al. present World War Z.  Starring Brad Pitt, Mirielle Enos, Daniella Kertesz, James Badge Dale, Fana Mokoena, Matthew Fox, and David Morse.  Directed by Marc Singer.  Written by Matthew Michael Carnahan, Drew Goddard, and Damon Lindelof, based on the novel by Max Brooks.  Cinematography by Ben Seresin (credited) and Robert Richardson (uncredited).  116 minutes.  Rated PG-13 for intense frightening zombie sequences, violence, and disturbing images.

Zombies have become a part of our vernacular and have a genre all their own, and World War Z is a respectable addition to zombie lore.  The insect swarm-like zombies of this motion picture are an original twist, and enough suspense and high stakes are added to make it a worthwhile viewing experience.

If anyone had been reading the entertainment press's accounts over the past year, World War Z was either 1) never going to be released or 2) going to be an unmitigated disaster.  It started as a project based on the critically and commercially successful Max Brooks novel, but the movie was going wildly over its budget and the third act was recently rewritten.  The only evidence I could see onscreen of the many "cooks" was the over-sanitized zombie violence, which is generally more sci-fi action-like than the grim realism and graphic gore of The Walking Dead.

As for the main plot, Brad Pitt portrays Gerry Lane, a former U.N. worker thrust back into service as a zombie-like virus threatens his immediate family's safety and quickly strangles the globe.  Unless he travels with a research team to one of the original hot spots in Korea, his family will lose their cramped but safe quarters aboard a military ship for "more essential" personnel.  A global journey begins that takes him to Korea and then Israel, in which he meets Segan, a brave Israeli soldier (Daniella Kertesz), who becomes an essential partner in their future journeys of mutual survival.

Though many zombie aficionados may balk at a film with a surprising lack of blood, suspense thriller fans will be pleasantly surprised with the use of tense jeopardy scenarios and build up instead of buckets of gore.  Overall, the zombies are portrayed in selected scenes more like insect swarms or an invading military force, but Gerry and Segan have a few precarious close encounters with the infected ghouls that could make your date or spouse jump in your lap.

Those seeking the existential horror of The Walking Dead, or the social commentary on race and family units of Romero's original Night of the Living Dead, may be disappointed.  However, audiences who like globe-hopping suspense thrillers may want to join Brad Pitt in his zombie-fighting adventures.

My rating:  *** out of ****.

THIS IS THE END: a movie review by Gordon Stamper, Jr.

Columbia Pictures, Mandate Pictures, and Point Grey Pictures present This Is the End.  Starring Seth Rogen, Jay Baruchel, James Franco, Craig Washington, Jonah Hill, Danny McBride, Michael Cera, and Emma Watson.  Directed by Evan Goldberg and Rogen.  Written by Rogen and Goldberg, based on their 2007 short film "Jay and Seth vs. the Apocalypse."  Cinematography by Brandon Trost.  107 minutes.  Rated 'R' for crude and sexual content throughout, brief graphic nudity, pervasive language, drug use, and violence.

Seth Rogen and company have beaten Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, and their comedy/horror troupe by two months' release time for a comic version of the apocalypse.  This will probably work towards This Is the End's box office advantage.  But with Rogen's wildly uneven filmography, could he and his co-conspirators make a movie that successfully appeals to dark humor lovers?

The answer is a qualified "yes." The loose premise is that all the actors are playing fictionalized versions of themselves (one hopes), and are generally on their worst behavior in facing the end times.  Rogen picks up Canadian Jay Baruchel from LAX, presumably for some buddy and male bonding time, but eventually drags Baruchel to a wild, celebrity-filled party at James Franco's mansion.  What starts happening outside the bacchanal is the filmmakers' version of the Rapture.  Those left behind face fire, massive earthquakes, and demons that walk the Earth.

Of course, the comedian party animals are left behind and don't fend for themselves too well.  Each are guilty of escalating outrages, particularly Danny McBride, with Michael Cera receiving a dishonorable mention.  The usually mild-mannered and quiet Cera is particularly a good sport in this film, doing a couple of simulated acts that could shock anyone.

In several scenes, the movie delivers the laughs.  Rogen and Baruchel's argument about gluten-free diets is a comic gem.  Parodies of horror movie cliches such as false scares and exorcisms are on target, such as a night scene where an ever-growing group of grown men uncomfortably snuggle up together out of fear.  And the cast's exaggerated send-up of themselves works as a whole.

Yet even at 107 minutes, the film is still too long.  Even though several set pieces are quite funny, the last half hour feels like this premise was based on a shorter film skit, which it was.  As an audience member, you can feel the clock ticking and the passable special effects padding the stretched-out climax. Also, how many dick and scatological jokes can one tell and still be funny?  Rogen and Goldberg must think quite a few.

Even with its flaws, for those who like their humor on the dark side and don't mind having their sensibilities offended, This Is the End offers an entertaining night at the movies.  For those who use the term "off color humor," the film offers consolation that they will not be left behind, but they should leave this film behind.

My rating:  *** out of ****.  

STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS: a movie review by Gordon Stamper, Jr.

Paramount Pictures, Skydance Productions, and Bad Robot present Star Trek into Darkness.  Directed by J.J. Abrams.  Written by Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtzman, and Damon Lindelof, based on characters created by Gene Roddenberry.  Starring Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Zoe Saldana, Karl Urban, Simon Pegg, John Cho, Benedict Cumberbatch, Anton Yelchin, Bruce Greenwood, and Peter Weller.  Cinematography by Daniel Mindel.  132 Minutes.  Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of sci-fi action and violence.

A motion picture franchise generally has juice when the nerd arguments begin.  As I left a screening of Star Trek Into Darkness, some die-hard Trekkies were in heated discussion about how new versions of heroes and villains stack up to the original cast's interpretations.  J.J. Abrams and the new/old Star Trek crew has revived and refreshed classic sci-fi characters for a new generation.  The latest film successfully builds on the good will from the 2009 release and updates one of the Star Trek universe's greatest villains, making him more formidable than ever.

This Star Trek installment gets off to an engaging start when Kirk (Chris Pine) and Bones McCoy (Karl Urban) do more than just observe the planet and culture of Nibiru, breaking nearly all the principles of the Starfleet prime directive of noninterference.  This costs Kirk his captain's chair.  His Federation career is salvaged when his old commanding officer Pike (Bruce Greenwood), who is reinstated as captain of the Enterprise, names Kirk as his first officer.  Kirk's first duty as a first mate is to accompany his captain to a meeting called by Admiral Marcus (Peter Weller).  A deadly terrorist is working within the Federation, Commander John Harrison (Benedict Cumberbatch), and his daring attacks lead to Marcus giving Kirk an opportunity to captain a special search-and-destroy Harrison mission.  Many, including Spock (Zachary Quinto), object to the aggressive and warlike nature of their orders, and Scotty (Simon Pegg) refuses to carry them out and is relieved of duty.  What Kirk and his crew encounter next reveals dark secrets that reach the top of the Federation, and a nearly all powerful villain who is capable of anything.

The cast continues their appealing interpretations of the Enterpise crew.  Pine mashes up William Shatner and Han Solo bravado as Kirk, while Quinto is action Spock and continuing his tempestuous (for Vulcan standards) relationship with Lieutenant Uhura (Zoe Saldana), sometimes with humorous results.  For example, Kirk makes the valid observation about Spock and Uhura's fights:  "How does that work?"  Other crew members are also carefully written and portrayed, walking the line between variation and homage without being the screen equivalent of a tribute band.

But no adventure could be complete without conflict, and Cumberbatch is a menacing antagonist.  His sonorous voice and lean, threatening look make him an ideal villain.  Weller is effective as a militant and vengeful leader with much to hide.  Though the film's commentary on war and terrorism lack subtlety, at least the attempt at literate science fiction in the midst of spectacular special effects mayhem is made.

Even Star Trek purists should be pleased or at least pacified by the material.  References to Tribbles and playing with Bones' verbal tick "I'm a doctor, not a _____" induced some rolling laughter from my screening's audience.  Fans of Star Trek II will probably appreciate a variation on one of the movie's most famous scenes.

Star Trek Into Darkness is another Abrams produced-and-directed entry worthy of a Star Trek fan or non-fan's time.  It gives some well-established and loved characters another fresh and entertaining adventure.  Just be prepared for rhetorical nerd fireworks if you dare say it's better than the original.

My rating:  ***1/2 out of ****.

THE GREAT GATSBY: a movie review by Gordon Stamper, Jr.

Warner Bros., Village Roadshow Pictures, and A&E Television Networks present The Great Gatsby.  Directed by Baz Luhrmann.  Adapted for the screen from The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald by Luhrmann and Craig Pearce.  Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Tobey Maguire, Carey Mulligan, Joel Edgerton, Elizabeth Debicki, Isla Fisher, and Jack Thompson.  Cinematography by Simon Duggan.  142 minutes.  Rated PG-13 for some violent images, sexual content, smoking, partying, and brief language.

Based on my favorite novel I was forced to read in high school, Baz Luhrmann's The Great Gatsby is another failed attempt to bring the acclaimed novel to the big screen.  While Luhrmann's style flourishes may grab fans of his Red Curtain trilogy (including Moulin Rouge), for many moviegoers they detract from the attempts at acting and overall story.

Once again, a novel of big social ideas is "condensed" to its basic action in this overlong film, unfortunately most of which is noveau riche Gatsby's grandiose and shallow parties he throws every weekend, hoping his former lover Daisy (here portrayed in languid waif fashion by Carey Mulligan) will show up and be impressed.  This is not one of Leonardo DiCaprio's finest roles--he fights a losing battle against the directorial bombast and generally doesn't try too hard.  Daisy's rich socialite husband Tom Buchanan is portrayed by Joel Edgerton and sports a pencil mustache, but should have had a bar-handled mustache to twirl in his hammy performance.  As with previous film adaptations, Nick Carraway's (Tobey Maguire) characterization comes off best, Maguire being perfectly suited for the role of the World War I veteran and working class neighbor who has much more in common with Gatsby than he first thinks.

For all its visual flash, the film has a traditional narrator in Maguire's Nick Carraway, often using voice overs and annoying floating text passages from the novel on the screen.  For the latter, Luhrmann may be taking advantage of the 3-D technology, yet the spoken and printed words come off more like telling than showing emotions and events for the audience.  Luhrmann filmed the production with 3-D cameras, but other than Gatsby and Nick speeding into New York City for the first time together in Gatsby's yellow Duesenberg, the effect is more of an unnecessary distraction than storytelling aid. And fast motion camera effects make Tom Buchanan's drunken debauchery with his mistress (Isla Fisher) look like a comic musical sequence out of Moulin Rouge, possibly to keep the film in the PG-13 range.

What make the viewing experience particularly frustrating are sequences that do work.  Visual highlights include the first Gatsby party Nick attends, an intentionally over-the-top and amusing scene where Nick's bromance hits a crescendo as Rhapsody in Blue booms on the soundtrack and fireworks explode behind Gatsby's head as he comes into Nick's view, DiCaprio's smiling face illuminated.  Actors somehow are able to get a word in edgewise in Luhrmann's visual noise as Gatsby and Daisy meet again at Nick's staged tea party, DiCaprio and Mulligan capturing their awkwardness and continued affection for one another.  Edgerton even manages an effective scene as Tom Buchanan confronts Gatsby about the affair with Daisy.

Unfortunately, these moments are scattered through a long motion picture.  This version of The Great Gatsby is like one of Jay Gatsby's shindigs:  some exuberant and giddy highs followed by sluggish lows and those hung-over guests who don't know when to go home.  Please, just read the book.

My rating:  ** out of ****.

IRON MAN 3: Movie Review by Gordon Stamper, Jr.

Marvel Studios and Paramount Pictures presents Iron Man 3.  Starring Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle, Guy Pearce, Rebecca Hall, Jon Favreau, Ty Simpkins, and Ben Kingsley.  Directed by Shane Black.  Written by Drew Pearce and Shane Black.  Cinematography by John Toll.  130 Minutes.  Rated PG-13 for sequences of intense sci-fi action and violence throughout, and brief suggestive content.

After the mildly disappointing Iron Man 2, Tony Stark, his metal suit army. and friends are back for a strong third installment of the series.  With formidable villains, character developing subplots, and Downey's charismatic performance as the egotistical billionaire, the film should please both comic book and movie fans alike.

Much of the credit should go to co-writer and director Shane Black (Lethal Weapon, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang), who explores the established characters effectively and builds new back story material.  Stark's problems begin when he attends a science conference at the end of the last millennium, seducing an attractive botanist who has intriguing new ideas in tissue regeneration (Rebecca Hall), and rudely ignoring Aldrich Killian, a geeky Stark admirer with interesting plans of his own (Guy Pearce).  Back in the present, Killian now reappears as a dapper and successful scientific entrepreneur pitching an important project to Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow), the president of Stark Enterprises, with flirtatious flair.  Despite an impressive presentation, Potts has to turn financing and development of Killian's project down, due to its possibly sinister weapon-like implications.  Meanwhile, international terrorist The Mandarin (Ben Kingsley, a menacing mix of the comic book villain and Osama bin Laden) begins threatening the U.S. President and commits a terrorist act on U.S. soil that strikes close to home for Tony Stark.  Stark's angry invitation for the Mandarin to visit his home results in more devastation, and a nationwide search for clues that includes investigating Killian's possible ties to the Mandarin, and travelling to the Southern U.S.  Stark meets up with a little boy (Ty Simpkins, in a winning performance) whose family happens to have a handy garage/shed area where the billionaire lies low and lets the world think he's dead, building mechanical preparations for a major assault on the Mandarin's lair.

What sets Iron Man 3 apart from many other noisy action blockbusters is the human element.  Stark's interactions with others, and Downey's chemistry with his fellow actors, are the keys.  He develops a wise-cracking and amiable friendship with the boy.  The relationship ups-and-downs continue for Stark and Pepper Potts and the audience cares.  Male one-upmanship and cautious friendship is maintained with Colonel James Rhodes (Don Cheadle).  Loyal bonds continue with Stark's longtime chauffeur/bodyguard and now semi-bumbling head of security Happy Hogan (Jon Favreau).  This would be a good film without the spectacular special effects, and is very good with them.  Only an over-extension of the chase and fight sequences in the climax slow the film's momentum. 

Unlike Baz Luhrmann's The Great Gatsby, this is a movie meant to be seen on the big screen.  Iron Man's flights and battles, explosions, and the settings in general are enhanced by the 3-D process, working well even in the darker sequences.  Though the film would be more than adequate if seen in a regular digital screening, there are multiple scenes that leap off the screen in Real 3-D.

Though comic book readers are used to some outlandish plot twists, the latest Iron Man entry will pleasantly surprise even the most jaded fans.  For example, a big action sequence allows a major character the first chance to don an Iron Man suit and flash superhero qualities.  And one hilarious turn of events should bring movie going-crime charges if revealed.

There may be a new incarnation of Jay Gatsby in the theaters, but the cinematic mogul of choice is Tony Stark.  Combining thrilling action sequences, excellent acting, humor, and more than one surprising twist, Iron Man 3 is great summer popcorn movie entertainment.

My rating:  ***1/2 out of ****

THE BOOK OF MORMON: Chicago Production review by Gordon Stamper, Jr.

 

Anne Garefino et al. present The Book of Mormon.  Book, music and lyrics by Trey Parker, Robert Lopez, and Matt Stone.  With Stephen Mark Lukas, Ben Platt, Camille Eanga-Selenge, Pierce Cassedy, James Vincent Meredith, Christopher Shyer, and David Aron Damane.  Two hours 30 minutes (with one 15-minute intermission).

One of the biggest Tony Award winning musicals of recent memory, The Book of Mormon has its Chicago production booked until early September.  Although the show has moments of humorous sketch comedy and is peppered with brilliant songs, more sensitive viewers, religious or nonreligious, may want to avoid paying stiff ticket prices in order to be insulted.  As for Avenue Q and especially South Park fans, this will probably be as good as a night at the theater can get.

A young Elder Price (understudy Stephen Mark Lukas (normally Nic Rouleau)) seems to be a rising Mormon superstar, and when it is time for his two-year mission, he is ready for the cushy field assignment of his dreams.  Instead, he is assigned to civil-war ravaged Uganda, even more burdened with partner Elder Cunningham (Ben Platt), an oafish reject looking more for a friend of any kind than a religious epiphany.  Once in Africa, the pair meet a burdened and tired mission leader, Elder McKinley (Pierce Cassedy), who has not converted one soul, and a discouraged bunch of villagers who feel more like cursing God than being saved by the Mormons.  At least one villager, Mafala (James Vincent Meredith), is "hospitable" enough  to introduce the green missionaries to the deplorable situation, including the persecution of a vicious General (David Aron Damane), who thinks one source of power is to cut off women's clitorises.  But at least one person seems willing to listen to the Mormon message or a facsimile thereof--Mafala's beautiful daughter Nabulungi (understudy Camille Eanga-Selenge (normally Syesha Mercado)), who thinks Elder Cunningham will save her and whisk her off to Salt Lake City.

This could have been the foundation of a thought-provoking drama, or at least a satirical study of clashing cultures, but with the authors being Parker, Lopez, and Stone, the emphasis is on broad and base slob comedy.  A big cheery production number features the missionaries being taught a song by the natives, in which we and the Mormon visitors ("Hasa Diga Eebowai") find it translates to "F--k you, God."  The voice-overs for accounts of Mormon history, Jesus, Joseph Smith, and the voice of the angel Moroni suspiciously sound like South Park characters (with good reason, since it's a prerecorded Matt Stone).  A "Spooky Mormon Hell Dream" musical number features a devil cut from the South Park mold and a Jeffrey Dahmer who wants to violate everything in sight.  And just the implication of those poor violated frogs . . . in short, these are the authors' scatter-shot comedic sensibilities at their best and worst.

The best and funniest moments of the play spring from its music.  The brilliant opener "Hello" features the missionary male chorus practicing their door-to-door presentations in a round that is a cross of A Chorus Line and the chattering gossip hens from The Music Man.  Elder Price dismissively puts Elder Cunningham in his place with "You and Me (But Mostly Me)."  Questionable mentoring is given by veteran missionary Elder McKinley, who advices his men to sublimate all their problems and worries, "Turn It Off," complete with a song-and-dance which describes his not-so-latent gay desires.  The most familiar song of the production, "I Believe," a satire of basic Mormon tenets that is also a touching faith proclamation, was delivered with full-voiced power by Lukas.  Yet what is the direct plot aftermath of the song dives back into scatological and sophomoric humor.

Performances for the Chicago production I saw were uniformly good, with the standouts being Cassedy, Eanga-Selenge, and Platt.  Cassedy is an accomplished song-and-dance man, and he plays his frazzled Elder McKinley character like Steve Buscemi in a comic role (and there is some physical resemblance).  Eanga-Selenge skillfully mixes comic timing and naive sincerity in her character Nabulungi.  But Platt may be the breakout star of the production, with a klutzy and lovable version of Elder Cunningham.  Musical numbers help his comedic star turn, such as "Making Things Up Again," in which Cunningham, not exactly a religious scholar, witnesses to the village in his own form of Mormonism, complete with Joseph Smith, Hobbits, Star Trek and Star Wars characters.

Unlike the rapturous reviews plastered on The Book of Mormon's print and television advertisements, the musical comedy will probably not be the play of the century, but for those with a tolerance for profane and raunchy humor, they will find a lot to enjoy.  As for the less sensitive who are there for the music, the high production values and quality of the Chicago company's performances will ring their bell.

Rating:  *** out of ****

Now playing at Bank of America Theatre, Chicago, through Sunday, September 8.  Tickets available at  broadwayinchicago.com.

The fearful Oscars predictions by Gordon Stamper, Jr.

This year's Academy Awards will feature a new host, Seth McFarlane.  If he performs to his full comic potential, he will be a one-time host; if McFarlane does more song and dance than barbs, he will be the new Billy Crystal.  Also, since it is the only foreign film nominated for Best Picture and several other major categories, Amour should be the easy winner for Best Foreign Film.  With those safe predictions aside, on with my not-so-surefire picks for the winners at tomorrow's ceremonies:

Best Picture:  Amour, Argo, Beasts of the Southern Wild, Django Unchained, Les Miserables, Life of Pi, Lincoln, Silver Linings Playbook, Zero Dark Thirty.  Argo will mainly win because it means Ben Affleck will be acknowledged as producer, but no one will be artistically put off by the choice, either.  The nominee list shows what an excellent year we had in movies, even if it was mostly bottom-loaded to fall and winter releases.  Moonrise Kingdom should have been nominee number ten.

Best Actor:  Bradley Cooper, Silver Linings Playbook; Daniel Day-Lewis, Lincoln; Hugh Jackman, Les Miserables; Joaquin Phoenix, The Master; Denzel Washington, Flight.  Duh.  Day-Lewis has a lock in this category, and it's not true that in his portrayal of Lincoln, he tells Congress he'll drink their milkshake.  Neither does Washington say "My cracker" to Ethan Hawke in Flight.

Best Actress:  Jessica Chastain, Zero Dark Thirty; Jennifer Lawrence, Silver Linings Playbook; Emmanuele Riva, Amour; Quvenzhane Wallis, Beasts of the Southern Wild; Naomi Watts, The Impossible.  Extremely competitive, especially compared to Best Actor, but Lawrence should win as the scene-stealer in an excellent cast.  However, frontrunners Chastain and Lawrence may cancel each other out, leaving it wide open for the oldest nominee ever, Riva, to win for her mentally and physically demanding work in the highly respected film Amour.

Best Supporting Actor:  Alan Arkin, Argo; Robert De Niro, Silver Linings Playbook; Philip Seymour Hoffman, The Master; Tommy Lee Jones, Lincoln; Christoph Waltz, Django Unchained.  All are former Oscar winners, and the performances are comparing apples to oranges in one of the most competitive categories in Academy Award history.  I'll pick De Niro, who hasn't won in about three decades, with the other frontrunner being Tommy Lee Jones.  Waltz's nomination is a typical Academy Award cheat--he's really co-lead with Jamie Foxx in Django.

Best Supporting Actress:  Amy Adams, The Master; Sally Field, Lincoln; Anne Hathaway, Les Miserables; Helen Hunt, The Sessions; Jackie Weaver, Silver Linings Playbook.  Hathaway is the other runaway winner in acting this year, singing and dying her heart out in the big musical tragedy.  Field runs a distant second as a very well cast Mary Todd Lincoln.  As for Amy Adams, you'll always be my MTV girl.  By the way, Jennifer Ehle should have been nominated for a phenomenal performance in Zero Dark Thirty.

Best Director:  Michael Haneke, Amour; Ang Lee, Life of Pi; David O. Russell, Silver Linings Playbook; Steven Spielberg, Lincoln; Behn Zeitlin, Beasts of the Southern Wild.  Since who should have been vying for best director, Ben Affleck and Kathryn Bigelow, aren't even nominated, third-best will probably go to Steven Spielberg for helping to make Lincoln an entertaining and not-so-dry historical drama.  The dark horse will probably be Ang Lee for his technical ringmaster work in Life of Pi, or Michael Haneke for Amour but just as much a lifetime achievement award.

Best Animated Feature Film:  Brave, Frankenweenie, ParaNorman, The Pirates! Band of Misfits, Wreck-It Ralph.  Why are there five nominees?  It wasn't a particularly strong year for animated films.  The likeable Wreck-It Ralph should win, and Brave would be the lazy, default Pixar choice.

Best Adapted Screenplay:  Lucy Alibar and Behn Zeitlin, Beasts of the Southern Wild; Tony Kushner, Lincoln; David Magee, Life of Pi; David O. Russell, Silver Linings Playbook; Chris Terrio, Argo.  Or what Best Screenplay awards have been for years--the consolation prize, so no Argo here.  Award-winning playwright Kushner (Angels in America) will most likely win, but the most recent Oscar winner in this category, The Descendants, was a less accomplished blend of what Russell did this year with a combination of comedy, drama, and romance in Silver Linings Playbook.

Best Original Screenplay:  Wes Anderson and Roman Coppola, Moonrise Kingdom; Mark Boal, Zero Dark Thirty; John Gatins, Flight; Michael Haneke, Amour; Quentin Tarantino, Django Unchained.  Maybe as outrageously competitive as Supporting Actor.  Haneke is a likely winner just as much for his body of work (Cache, Funny Games, The White Ribbon) as for Amour, with Tarantino being a strong dark horse, whether he deserves it or not.  Moonrise Kingdom should win, but oh well.

Finally, the technical categories will probably go to the cinematography and effects wizardry that went into creating Life of Pi.  Ang Lee's adaptation of the famous novel may actually take home the most Oscars because of its technical prowess.

SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK review by Gordon Stamper, Jr.

Silver Linings Playbook

Written and Directed by David O. Russell (based on the novel The Silver Linings Playbook by Matthew Quick)

Starring Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, Robert De Niro, Jacki Weaver, Anupam Kher, Chris Tucker, John Ortiz, Julia Stiles

122 minutes, rated 'R' for profanity and sexually suggestive language

Silver Linings Playbook is one of the most nominated films for this year's Academy Awards ceremony, and for good reason.  The film is a poignant drama without being a manipulative tearjerker, a comedy that doesn't ignore the serious problems that its main characters have, a romance with excellent lead chemistry, and has a well-earned conclusion.  In reality, the film shouldn't have "dramedy" or any label on it.  It's just high-level film making from David O. Russell with a plot that serves the characters and defies categorization, in many ways like his previous movie, The Fighter.

Pat (Bradley Cooper) has recently been released from a mental institution after a violent outburst on his estranged wife and her lover.  Now living with his parents (Robert De Niro and Jacki Weaver), he is invited to a small dinner party thrown by his buddy Ronnie (John Ortiz) and Ronnie's wife, the uptight and rightfully nervous friend of Pat's wife, Veronica (an amusing cameo turn by Julia Stiles).  Another guest is the almost equally troubled family black sheep, Tiffany (Jennifer Lawrence), who is highly promiscuous and likely to say anything in any setting.

What follows could have been played as broad comedy or Lifetime Movie of the Week doomed romance, but instead takes off on an often unpredictable path.  It includes meetings with Pat's therapist (Anupam Kher); meeting up with Pat's former institution roomie, the neurotic Danny (Chris Tucker, about as low-key as Tucker can get); and explorations of love, loss, moving on with one's life, and seizing opportunities without pounding those points with a sledgehammer.

The acting ensemble is uniformly good, including Cooper, a Best Actor nominee, but Lawrence and De Niro are Oscar worthy as the vividly alive and foul-mouthed Tiffany and the long-suffering yet passively aggressive Pat Sr.  Russell writes several showpiece scenes for his actors, including an unusual, funny, and troubling Halloween date for Pat and Tiffany, and a showstopping showdown between Tiffany and Pat Sr.

For this year's Oscar contenders, Silver Linings Playbook may not take home the ultimate Best Picture prize, but it may hold up as one of 2012's contributions to the cinematic art form.

Rating:  **** out of ****  

Hillary Clinton--The Legacy That Could Have Been

Hillary Clinton at a 2008 campaign rally, Hammond Civic Center (photo copyright 2008 Gordon Stamper, Jr.).

As Hillary Clinton testified before House and Senate committees about the attack on the U.S. Embassy at Bengazi, I was reminded of Hillary Clinton the Presidential candidate in 2008.

On Wednesday, Secretary of State Clinton showed flashes of the energetic campaigner of nearly five years ago.  Her political experience helped prepare her for the barrage of questions and the usual political grandstanding that poses as meaningful questions.  Clinton's fiery responses often diffused the accusatory rhetoric she was facing from the esteemed senators and congressmen.

She faced similar challenges in 2008 when many questioned why should she continue a "doomed campaign," and I think history has vindicated her staying the course.  In recent years, when was the electorate so electrified about a political primary, especially in Indiana so late in the Presidential season?  And remember, Clinton won the Indiana Democratic Primary by a slim margin.  Challenging the glass ceiling so strongly was worth it.

But one rumor was made preposterous by Clinton's testimony appearances.  Days before the hearings, some unnamed politicos started floating rumors that Clinton faked that flu and blood clot back in December to avoid testifying before the committees, that it was all an arranged ruse.  However, as a person who saw the tired but spirited 2008 version of Clinton in her Hammond, Indiana, rally appearance, this was a physical shell of that person.  Mentally Clinton was sharp as ever.  Yet before us, we saw a harried, tired, and aged person who looked like she has literally been through a ringer.

Unfortunately, in the case of Libya, critics of Clinton's committee appearance are right.  She had valid responses to the rhetorical venom spewed her way, but to specific questions about what went wrong, Clinton provided insufficient answers.  There were fascinating insights into the staggering responsibilities of a U.S. Secretary of State and the "art form" of budgeting and predicting security needs in unstable government environments--all the while trying to get the sufficient funds for security from the legislators.  But beyond the "buck stops with me" rhetoric, the specifics of how that pertained to her responsibility were not answered.

Hillary Clinton still has a significant legacy as First Lady, U.S. Senator, Presidential nominee, and Secretary of State.  Yet oh what might have been.  If she became President and kept her basic campaign promises, she may have only served one term due to her aggressively progressive politics, but necessarily radical things may have been done while she had a Democratic Congress to work with.  Infrastructure renewal jobs would have invigorated the economy.  Having the same health care coverage and plans as federal government employees available to all would have negated the need for Obama Care, and its added layers of bureaucracy and halting implementation. 

Instead, we have the Administration of Barack Obama, generally a good man and so far a mediocre President.  He is a remarkable individual and what he has achieved for African Americans is historic, but we have lived through his first term and the missed opportunities of his first two years in office, when he had a Democratic majority on Capitol Hill.  Only with his latest inaugural address do we have a glimpse into the progressive liberal efforts that should have been pushed during his first for true permanent job creation--clean energy manufacturing and renewed environmentalist vigor, and rebuilding an aging infrastructure of bridges, roads, and sewers.  This should not have taken so long, and the reality is that with the gridlock currently in Washington, much of these propositions will not be implemented anytime soon.

And we have the outgoing Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton.  Harried, tired, aged, and in the case of Bengazi, playing the role of the government bureaucrat.  I hope her recent health issues temper her future political decisions.  I hope she enjoys a well-deserved rest and retirement from the wilting spotlight of decades of public service.  I want to remember the groundbreaking, pre-Libya Clinton.

DJANGO UNCHAINED--a movie review

 

Django Unchained

Written and directed by Quentin Tarantino

Starring Jamie Foxx, Christoph Waltz, Leonardo DiCaprio, Samuel L. Jackson, Kerry Washington, Don Johnson

A Columbia Pictures/Weinstein Company Release

165 minutes

Rated 'R' for graphic violence, profanity, and nudity

The latest work by Quentin Tarantino, Django Unchained, is loosely an homage to perhaps his greatest film making influence, Sam Peckinpah, but it also owes much to 60s spaghetti westerns and 70s blaxploitation flicks.  As with Inglorious Basterds, it is Tarantino's cultural reference blender running this film's world, not historical accuracy.  And as usual, in other people's hands, the subject matter could have made for a glorified snuff film and a genuinely offensive film for African Americans.  However, the dark humor, artistry involved, and humane character development provide rewards for moviegoers with less delicate dispositions.

Surprisingly, the narrative is the most straightforward to date for a Tarantino film, with only a few traditional flashbacks along the way.  Django (Jamie Foxx) is rescued from the life of a pre-Civil War slave chain gang by dentist aka bounty hunter Dr. King Schultz (Christoph Waltz).  In return for his freedom and a share of the bounty cut, Django assists Schultz in killing outlaws and bringing back their corpses.  Along the way, Schultz learns of Django's savage separation from his wife Broomhilda (Kerry Washington), and agrees to help Django find her and buy her freedom from the infamous plantation known as Candyland, run by the sadistic and sneering Calvin Candie (Leonardo DiCaprio).  As well as Django and Schultz's ruse as buyers for gladiator-like slaves or "mandigo" fighters seems to be going, Candie's personal slave Stephen (Samuel L. Jackson) watches freeman Django with angry and wary eyes.

Most adult movie audiences are familiar with the basic Tarantino formula at this point--flashes of humor and wit alternating with flourishes of brutal violence.  The more sensitive viewer should steer clear of this production as well, with blood-and-guts splattering gun play, dog attacks, flogging, and "mandingo fighting" among the palette of gore.  Yet much of the mayhem usefully moves the plot along to its bloody conclusion, and as with many road-type stories, the journey and its storytelling style is as important, if not more so, than the destination.  The dark comedy flows from scenarios such as Schultz eloquently explaining his government-sanctioned profession to often hostile audiences, plantation owner Big Daddy (Don Johnson) trying to wrap his head around the concept of a black free man, and a man on a raid complaining of the inconveniences of his proto-Klan garb (Jonah Hill).  Empathy is given to the plight of slaves, and the "jokes" are generally on the white slave-owning perpetrators, similar to what is done with the Nazis of Tarantino's previous film.

Tarantino is abetted by many valuable contributors.  Though he seems to wrangle some of the oddest of acting ensembles, the approach works here again for the material.  In minor roles, an assortment of familiar television faces such as Johnson, Justified's Walton Goggins, Dexter's dad James Remar, and Dukes of Hazzard star Tom Wopat acquit themselves well.  Foxx and Waltz have excellent acting chemistry and provide a sympathetic pair of unlikely heroes, and DiCaprio and Jackson give Academy Award-nomination worthy performances as two detestable but extremely watchable villain counterparts.  In particular, DiCaprio almost has too much fun playing such a vile character.  One acting quibble--please stick to cameos, Mr. Tarantino.  His work with an Australian accent is awful.  

Other frequent collaborators shine as well.  Frequent Scorcese and Tarantino cinematographer Robert Richardson beautifully frames the western mountain and southern bayou location backdrops, and provides a memorable panning shot of Django and Schultz arriving at Candyland with their host Monsieur Candie, cutting back and forth to the angry glare of the awaiting Stephen.  Music soundtrack partner Mary Ramos continues her wildly inappropriate yet effective song choices for a historical period, including perhaps the best use of a Jim Croce song ever on film.

Ironically, what may be one of Django Unchained's strengths is also its principal weakness, and a spoiler alert for the remainder of this review.  The filmmaker's high wire act to make a controversial yet entertaining experience works, but it also spares his title character what dramatically should have been Django's ultimate fate.  In Peckinpah films, no one is safe, and even if the "moral imperative" or goal of the quest was met, it didn't mean the protagonists lived to see it.  Though Tarantino has given us another celebration of nerdy references and what film can do, and electrifying scenes that will remain in viewers' heads whether they want them there or not, dramatically he misses a chance at tragic gravitas with the main character Django.  By giving what most audience members want, a generally happy ending, the writer/director misses a chance at movie greatness.

My rating:  ***1/2 out of ****